The Lonely Lion and the Secretive Snake
by always-infinity30
Summary: Brittany Pierce is an ordinary girl who goes to Hogwarts. What happens when she meets a mysterious Slytherin girl who changes her life and opinions on people?
1. Chapter 1

**The Lonely Lion and the Secretive Snake**

**Author's Note: Hello readers! This is my second story and am really excited about it. I ship Brittana and am a total Gleek, but I am also a Potterhead as well. This is my first crossover fic, so I may be a bit shaky. If you have any tips or comments on anything, please feel free to leave them! I have the general storyline set up in my head, so I will say this now. The only Harry Potter characters that will be in here are the teachers and possibly Voldemort, depending on how this plays out. Harry, Ron, and Hermione will not make an appearance. Also, I use other Glee characters as other classmates in the same year. So, for example, Sam is in the same year as all of the other characters, even though in the show he is in the grade below. Thank you for reading. Enjoy!**

"No matter what happens, just remember that we love you."

Those were the blonde's departing words that she received from her parents. She knew that it was a miracle she'd gotten her Hogwarts letter. She was an ordinary girl who never had many friends. No one thought she was smart, even her parents. That's why they prepped her for going into Hufflepuff. She wasn't mean or cunning for Slytherin. She wasn't brave and cocky for Gryffindor. She wasn't smart and resourceful for Ravenclaw. The only other option for her was Hufflepuff. She knew nothing was true until she tried on the Sorting Hat, but the ceremony was quickly approaching, so the decision would be made soon.

As the blonde walked down the corridor of the train, she looked into compartments that were filled with loud and obnoxious kids in black robes. The louder ones mostly had their house badges and ties on, while the quieter ones, like the blonde, didn't. She bit her lip as she moved on toward the back of the train, searching for an empty compartment. She finally found one a few from the last one on the train. She rolled her trunk into the compartment and happily began to settle in. She set her cat carrier down on the cushioned seat and began to lift her heavy trunk onto the luggage rack above her head.

"Be careful with that! You don't want to hurt yourself," a voice said. The blonde turned to see a boy, about her age, with a cleanly cut mohawk and ladies-man grin on his face.

"Let me get it," the boy said, helping her get her trunk onto the luggage rack. Once the difficult task was done, the boy held out his hand and grinned again.

"My name's Noah Puckerman, but you can call me Puck. I'm a first year." The blonde smiled and shook his hand.

"My name's Brittany Pierce. I'm also a first year."

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Pierce," Puck said. "Listen, I gotta run. I was talking to some third-year Slytherins earlier, so I better head out. If you need anything, I'm in 20C. Anyways, see ya!" And with that, the boy with the mohawk left with a wink.

Confused, Brittany sat down on one of the seats and opened her cat carrier for her cat to stretch his legs. Slowly, he walked out, only to curl up on the seat next to Brittany. Shrugging, the blonde looked out the window at the train station platform. She watched various kids hug their parents in farewell, only to then board the train in tears. One brown haired girl, who was wearing the oddest outfit, was hugging her two dads, tears streaming down her face. Another cute, blonde boy with huge lips was crying while wearing a pair of hand-me-down robes and a chipping wand.

Then, Brittany noticed a sheet of long, dark hair that reflected the sunlight that streamed into the station. The girl had her back toward the train, but based on her body language, she could wait to leave her parents and get onto the train. Suddenly, the whistle blew and smoke spewed from the train as conductors yelled for everyone to board.

Sudden yelling that came from the hallway caused Brittany to look away from the window and glance at the door. An unusually tall first year boy who looked a bit chubby was running down the corridor with Puck, an Asian boy, and the blonde boy with big lips.

"Pierce!" Puck yelled, dragging the boys into the compartment. "This is Finn Hudson. He's gonna be Keeper for the school one day!" The abnormally tall boy with some chub grinned goofily. Brittany smiled back politely.

"This is Mike Chang," Puck continued, gesturing to the Asian boy next to Finn Hudson. "He's also going to be a Chaser one day." Mike Chang smiled slightly, clearly not as outgoing as the others.

"This is Sam Evans," Puck finished, pointing to the blonde boy with big lips. "He's another Chaser." Brittany smiled once again, thinking that she would get along with Mike Chang the best out of all of them.

"You have pretty eyes," Evans said, out of the blue. Brittany blushed. She was used to people pointing out her beautiful blue eyes, but not boys her age.

"Thank you," she muttered, looking down at her feet.

"Wow, way to go, Evans!" Puck exclaimed, giving him a high five. "Well, we'd better get back to our compartment. Later, Pierce!"

After the boys left, Brittany reached into her trunk and pulled out her robes and slowly put them on, making sure not to stumble with the movement of the train. Once she checked her hair to make sure she hadn't messed it up, she reached back into her trunk and pulled out money for lunch. She forgot to pack a snack, so she was hoping the trolley her mom had mentioned would come soon.

"Anything off the trolley?"

Brittany perked up when she finally heard the faint voice of the trolley lady. As she peeked her head out of the door, she could see the trolley about ten compartments down. Deciding that she wanted food now, she headed down the hall to the trolley.

After waiting for two other students to purchase their food, Brittany finally stood next to the trolley and told the woman her order. As the lady was gathering her items, Brittany looked around in the other compartments. One held a group of sixth-year Gryffindors, who looked like they were playing some card game. Another one held a group of first-years who were all enjoying food from the trolley. All but one, who had dark brown hair that caught the light streaming in from the window. It was the girl Brittany had noticed on the platform earlier with the beautiful, glossy hair.

As Brittany stared at the girl, she noticed how she was quietly reading in the corner while the others chatted and ate. Her tanned skin glowed in the light as she reached up to brush the hair off to her side and out of her face. As she did so, the girl glanced up and blue eyes met brown for the first time. Brittany quickly looked away and grabbed the food from the woman as quickly as possible. Without a backwards glance, Brittany turned and walked back down the corridor and returned to her compartment, unaware that the brown eyes she had looked into only seconds earlier followed her retreating figure down the corridor until she was out of sight.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

**Author's Note: Hello again! Thank you so much for the views and reviews of the story! I have to say, I'm really excited to be writing this! It's definitely a first for me, but I like to step out of my comfort zone once in a while. In this chapter, there will be a sorting, but I only use Gryffindor and Slytherin. I felt that it would be a bit too complicated if some glee club members were in some other houses that we don't know as much about. I based the sorting mostly on friendships and relationships, not as much on personalities. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Sorry, I forgot this for the first chapter! I do not own Glee, Harry Potter, or any of the characters!**

Before Brittany knew it, the sky outside the window had grown dark and the lamps lining the corridor had ben lit. There was a sudden curve in the ride and there, outside the window, was Hogwarts Castle. The torches were burning brightly and the light glowed out of the windows. The picturesque image was then cut off by trees and the dark forest surrounding the Hogsmeade train station. As the train slowed to a halt, Brittany stuffed her wand into her robes and ran a hand through her hair, making sure it was straight.

When the train doors finally opened, Brittany made her way onto the platform. She looked around fearfully, unsure of where to go. All she could see were tall older students pushing through the crowd, trying to reach the carriages.

"Firs' years, follow me!"

Brittany turned to see a huge, burley man with long, stringy, brown hair and a beard. Hesitantly, she walked over toward him and was relieved to see many other first-years gathered around the half-giant. She stood next to Mike Chang, who gave her a nervous smile.

"Right, my name's Hagrid. I'm gamekeeper here at Hogwarts, but tonight, I'm showin' you lot up ter the school. Firs' years go in them boats across the lake, but the rest o' the students take the carriages. So, if yeh'll follow me, let's head on out!"

The first years followed Hagrid to the edge of the lake and boarded the boats. Brittany sat with Mike Chang, Finn Hudson, and the teary brown-haired girl Brittany saw on the platform. No one talked as they sailed across the lake until they caught sight of the gigantic castle that stood in front of them. The blonde gazed up at the castle and watched the sea of black-clothed students walk up the path and into the school.

Once they'd reached the grassy slope, all of the first years and Hagrid trooped up to the oak front doors and stood there, waiting for the next step. Hagrid stepped up and knocked loudly on the door. Only a few seconds went by before the doors opened wide to reveal a stern-looking old woman dressed in green robes and a matching hat.

"The first' years, Professor McGonagall," Hagrid said professionally. The professor nodded to him before he walked past her and through a side door in the hallway.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," the woman said, looking down on all of the students. "In a few moments, you will all head through these doors and officially become students here. But first, the Sorting Hat must decide where you belong. There are four houses: Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Wherever the Sorting Hat puts you, is where you will stay. Your house will be your family for the next seven years. With that, follow me."

As Professor McGonagall turned around, another pair of oak doors opened to the Great Hall. The first years quickly entered after the professor, tilting the heads up to admire the night sky that illuminated the ceiling. The first years all gathered at the base of the platform. Brittany stared at the teachers behind the staff table; most looked down on the students happily, while a few didn't. Brittany spotted Hagrid in the far corner. She smiled shyly when he waved.

"When I call your name, please come forward to try on the hat. Once your house has been selected, please go to your long table and join the rest of your housemates," Professor McGonagall said, unrolling a piece of parchment. "Arthur Abrams."

A small boy with glasses limped forward and sat down on the stool, eyes screwed shut. Once the hat touched his head, it seemed to come alive.

"Hmm…you have your father's personality," the hat began. Brittany was suddenly overcome with nerves and squeezed Mike Chang's arm next to her. He squeezed back, nervous too. "But, you have your mother's heart. GRYFFINDOR!" The hall erupted in applause as the boy limped back down the platform and to the Gryffindor table. There, they welcomed him with open arms.

"Blaine Anderson!"

A boy with slicked-back black hair walked up to the stool and sat down, awaiting the hat. After waiting a few moments, the hat called, "SLYTHERIN!"

This time, the table against the wall erupted in the loudest applause as they made room for their newest member.

"Rachel Berry."

The brown-haired girl, who had been in Brittany's boat, giddily walked up to the stool and sat down. The hat took a few seconds, only to then shout, "GRYFFINDOR!" The hall applauded once more before Professor McGonagall spoke the next name.

"Michael Chang."

Brittany's arm received a squeeze as Mike stepped forward to take his place on the stool. She could only watch with crossed fingers as the hat began to deliberate. Then suddenly, "Gryffindor!" Brittany cheered loudly as Mike walked over to the table. He caught her eye and gave her thumbs up.

Brittany grew uneasy as she watched the next people go. A girl named Tina Cohen Chang followed Mike to the Gryffindor table, as well as Sam Evans and Finn Hudson, which Mike looked pleased about. An African American girl with two curly pigtails named Mercedes Jones went to Gryffindor too, but a blonde girl, whose name was Quinn Fabray, broke the streak and went to Slytherin. Then, a boy who had hair that was styled to the extreme followed Fabray to the Slytherin table. Brittany giggled when she heard the boy's name, Kurt Hummel. It made her think of bumble bees.

"Santana Lopez."

Brittany let out a small gasp as the beautiful brunette she'd stared at on the train stepped up onto the platform and sat down on the stool. As the hat was lowered onto her head, the brown eyes were covered by the brim and Brittany used the time to freely stare at the girl. She could already tell the girl was shorter than herself. Not by much, but enough to tell the difference. Santana was very tan compared to the blonde, but it suited her with her dark brown hair.

"Slytherin!"

Brittany cheered loudly as Santana Lopez rose and walked over to the green-clad table, sitting down next to the Blonde Quinn Fabray and immediately began a conversation with her. Brittany watched with a twinge of jealousy until she was interrupted by Professor McGonagall.

"Brittany Pierce."

"Brittany gulped and walked forward onto the platform before sitting on the stool facing the hall. She felt hundreds of eyes upon her, but only looked for one set. Before the hat blocked her view, blue eyes locked on brown once more before the hall disappeared. All that she could see was the brown interior of the hat.

"Hmm let's see…what do I do with this one?" Brittany gulped. "Oh, don't worry. It's a good thing to have so many great qualities.. You're much wiser than you think. Your courage is remarkable. Your loyalty is stunning. And your ambition is incredible. What a stellar personality, Brittany S. Pierce. I think…Gryffindor!"

The hall applauded once more as Brittany felt the hat being lifted from her head. She slowly made her way to the long table on the left and slid onto the bench next to Mercedes Jones and across from Mike Chang, who gave her a high-five.

"Welcome to Gryffindor," an older girl said before sitting back down. Brittany grinned.

"Noah Puckerman."

Brittany watched as the last of the first years walked up to the stool and sat down, waiting for the decision. A few moments passed before, "Slytherin!" Brittany clapped and watched as Puck slid into his seat, smiling as his new classmates. He immediately joined into the conversation with Quinn and Santana. Brittany's heart couldn't help but sink a little as she watched the brunette smile and nod at Quinn and Puck before beginning to eat. The blonde's attention snapped back to her table and gaped at the mountains of food before her.

After helping herself to all of the food she wanted, the blonde settled into her seat and looked up at the staff table to see a very old man standing up and getting everyone's attention. The hall immediately fell quiet.

"Welcome to yet another year at Hogwarts! For those of you who are returning, welcome back! For those of you who are just joining, we hope you enjoy your seven-year journey with us! Now, off to bed!" the man said.

"Is that Professor Dumbledore? " Brittany asked Mike. He nodded.

"Yes, he's a peculiar man. He's very wise, but also very different. That's why they say he's the best Headmaster."

"Oh," is all Brittany could say as the pair followed a prefect and the rest of the Gryffindor first years up to Gryffindor Tower. Once there, they split up to go to the separate dormitories. Brittany collapsed onto her bed next to her cat's carrier.

"What's your cat's name?"

Brittany looked up to see the African American girl with the pigtails. She smiled.

"Lord Tubbington!" The girl laughed, then stuck out her hand.

"My name's Mercedes. Over there, that's Tina. She stutters, but is still pretty cool. Very quiet, though. And over there, that's Rachel Berry. Don't talk to her unless you want your ear blown off. She never stops talking or singing!" Brittany nodded.

"My name's Brittany. I like your hair!" Mercedes smiled.

"Well, thanks, Brittany! It was nice to meet you! Goodnight!"

The blonde smiled as she got ready for bed. Once Lord Tubbington was asleep in his bed, Brittany crawled into hers and under the sheets. Turning onto her side, she looked out the window and at the starry sky, knowing that the next seven years would be the best of her life.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

**Author's Note: Hello, readers! I apologize for the long wait for this chapter. With the Brittana wedding, I was kind of busy, so I didn't get as much writing on this fic as my other one. But, I knew I needed to get cracking, so here is the third chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, Harry Potter, or any of the characters!**

The next morning, Brittany went down to the Great Hall with Mercedes and Tina. She'd woken up to Rachel singing quite loudly, which made the trio dress quickly and head down to breakfast. As they were just starting to eat, Professor McGonagall came around and handed out the first year schedules. They first had Charms with the Ravenclaws, then Defense Against the Dark Arts with the Slytherins, lunch, then Potions with the Slytherins.

"So what exactly are you guys?" Mercedes asked as they walked to their first class. "I'm a half-blood. My dad was a pure-blood, and my mom is a Muggle-born."

"I-I'm a half-blood t-too!" Tina stammered, smiling at Mercedes. Brittany frowned.

"I'm a pureblood," she said. "But, my parents always told me that it didn't matter who someone was as long as they're nice."

"Well, your parents are very nice people," Mercedes said. "Not everyone feels the same way. But it's cool! Your parents seem like they've got the right idea."

The three then reached the Charms class and found seats along the wall. Professor Flitwick quickly started the lesson and within fifteen minutes, the students were practicing their first spell. Brittany, who sat next to Rachel, had finally managed to lift her feather off her desk after her first three tries. As she turned to tell Rachel, her smile faded at the sight of Rachel's feather floating up towards the window.

"Everyone, look at miss Berry's feather! Excellent work! Everyone else, your homework is to practice this spell and be ready for another go next class," Professor Flitwick announced. Brittany's feather slowly floated down as she concentrated on packing up.

The next class was Defense Against the Dark Arts. Professor Quirrell was an amazing teacher. He told stories of the creatures he saw on vacations and how his best friend happened to be a werewolf.

After lunch in the Great Hall, the Gryffindors followed the Slytherins down to the dungeons for Potions class. Brittany hadn't even finished getting her books out of her bag before the door slammed shut and a woman with billowing black robes, a sharp nose, and short blonde hair stalked to the front of the room and turned to face the class.

"You all may be first-years and may know nothing about magic, but I can assure you that in my classroom, that will be no excuse." Brittany's eyes widened, while Tina's and Mercedes' jaws dropped.

"My name is Professor Sylvester and I can assure you that if you want to pass this class, you cannot act like the incompetent fools you are acting like now. I'm sure you all have names; however, I don't care enough to lean them. Now, open your books to page eleven and begin brewing the Cheery Potion. At the end of class, you will all drink such potion and I expect you all to be giddy little school boys and girls when you leave. Now, move!"

Brittany immediately began brewing the potion, taking care to re-read the instructions. After Charms, she didn't want to make a fool out of herself.

Before she knew it, class was over and she packed up her potion into a bottle. Once her books were zipped into her bag, she joined the line that formed in front of Professor Sylvester's desk and waited patiently behind Artie, the Gryffindor boy with a limp. As she waited for him to finish drinking his potion, she noticed a nice, citrus smell coming from somewhere near her. The blonde turned around and found herself face to face with Santana Lopez, the beautiful Slytherin girl from the train. Knowing that there was no escape in such tight quarters, Brittany smiled.

"Hi! I'm Brittany!"

"The brunette, who had quickly looked away, looked back at the blonde and smiled shyly.

"Hi, I'm Santana." Brittany's smile widened.

"It's nice to meet you, Santana! I like your name. It's very pretty!" _Just like you,_ Brittany thought to herself.

"I understand that some teachers may promote inter-house friendships. I, however, do not. So, it you could please stop chatting and face me, this line wouldn't be so backed up!"

Brittany's eyes widened and she turned to face Professor Sylvester, who narrowed her eyes at the student before her. The smaller blonde set her potion on the teacher's desk and waited.

"Just drink the potion."

Brittany blushed, then reached forward and took the potion back and took a small sip. The effects were instantaneous, but not the ones she was looking for. Her face grew beet red and her eyebrows turned down as tears spilled out of her eyes. Before she knew it, she was crying in front of the professor and the entire class.

"Well, Tweedle Dumb, this potion is complete garbage. It's the furthest thing from the Cheery Potion that I asked you to make. If you intend on passing this class, then do make sure to plan on being less stupid next time."

Brittany quickly turned away from the desk and made her way back up the line towards the door, passing all of the snickering students who had heard every word the Professor had said. Once she was out of the classroom., she made her way to the nearest bathroom. After noticing that she was the only one there, she sat down on one of the toilet seats and let her tears loose.

"And who might you be?" a voice above her asked. Brittany looked up to see the ghost of a small schoolgirl with glasses and braided long hair looking down on her.

"I'm Brittany."

"Well, Brittany, I'm Moaning Myrtle, and you're sitting on my toilet."  
Brittany jumped up and quickly scooted out of the stall.

"I-I'm sorry! I didn't know it was yours. I didn't use it, I just sat on it," the blonde said, wiping away her tears.

"Were you crying?" Moaning Myrtle asked. Brittany bit her lip and nodded.

"I didn't make a potion correctly in class, so everyone laughed at me for being so dumb." The ghost swooped down and hovered in front of Brittany.

"I used to get teased a lot, too," Myrtle said softly. "I was teased until the day I died."

"That's awful!" the blonde exclaimed.

"Well, people still tease me now, too," the ghost admitted.

Suddenly, the bathroom door opened and Santana walked in. There was a pause before Myrtle swooped up and back into her stall, only to disappear into the toilet.

"Brittany, are you okay?" Santana asked.

"Why do you care? You're Slytherin. I'm Gryffindor. We're supposed to be enemies," Brittany said, wiping the corners of her eyes.

"Well, aren't your housemates supposed to stick up for you?" I don't know if you noticed, but it wasn't just the Slytherins who were laughing at you," Santana replied.

"Great," the blonde said, fresh tears brimming in her eyes. "Now I don't have any friends." Santana stepped forward.

"That's not true," the brunette said. "I'm your friend."

"Really?" Santana laughed.

"Of course! We may not be able to eat together and be in the same house, but when we have class together, we can sit next to one another. Plus, during free time and the weekends, we can hang out and study together!" Brittany grinned.

"We'll be best friends forever!" the blonde said. Santana laughed again.

"Forever! I promise."

Together, the two best friends linked their pinkies in a solemn promise and left the bathroom.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

**Author's Note: Hello again! Luckily I got this chapter done a lot faster than the previous one. I had a lot more free time and now I will as well, so look for faster updates (hopefully). Keep reviewing because I love input on my work…good or bad because this story is for you all! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, Harry Potter, or any of the characters. All mistakes are mine!**

The next few months passed by quickly. Every night, the pair of friends would be found studying in a back corner of the library. Most of the time, the blonde would re-read sections from her textbooks while the Latina edited her essays. After a couple hours of studying, the two would simply sit and talk to each other.

"Santana," Brittany asked one evening, "does being a pureblood or half-blood matter?"

The brunette quickly glanced around before shutting the textbook in her lap and scooting closer to her friend.

"Well, to some people, it does. But, to most others, it doesn't. For example, most of the other Slytherins think it matters, while the rest of the school doesn't care," Santana said slowly.

"Why?" Brittany asked. The brunette bit her lip.

"Most, if not all, of the Slytherins are purebloods. And most purebloods believe that they're superior over half-bloods and Muggle-borns."

"How do _you_ feel about that?" the blonde asked. Santana quickly looked around again, but no one was nearby.

"I think it's a bunch of crap," she said. "I mean, it's not like you can tell what kind of witch or wizard someone is by looking at them. Like, I can't tell who you are just by looking at you, but I know you're awesome, so it wouldn't matter anyways." Brittany grinned and pulled the brunette into a hug.

"I was hoping you'd say something like that! Just so you know, I'm a pureblood." Santana smiled.

"Me too," she said quietly, before resuming her reading.

Before they knew it, Christmas was upon them and the caste was being decked with Christmas trees from the Forbidden Forest, live fairies that glowed red and green, and mistletoe that hung from the doorways. Two days before Christmas break, Professor McGonagall passed around a sheet of names of students who were staying at the castle for Christmas. Much to Brittany's surprise, she was the only Gryffindor staying behind.

"Do you know what this means?" she asked the Latina that night. "It means we can have sleepovers in Gryffindor Tower and study by the fireplace instead of the chilly library."

Brittany woke up the morning of Christmas break to find the entire tower empty. She quickly pulled a sweater over her dark jeans and skipped down to the Great Hall for breakfast. When she walked in, the blonde smiled at the large Christmas trees that lined the walls and the snowflakes that fell from the enchanted ceiling.

The blonde quickly spotted her friend reading at the Slytherin table and eating toast. She made her way over to the far wall and sat down across from the Latina.

"Happy Christmas break, Santana!" the blonde exclaimed, helping herself to the tray of bacon in front of her. The brunette looked up and choked on her toast.

"Britt! Wh-what are you doing here?" she gasped, closing her book.

"Oh, come on, Santana! It's Christmas! Plus, no one even noticed that I'm sitting here. They really couldn't care less," Brittany said nonchalantly.

She; however, was wrong. The students may not have noticed a certain blonde sitting at another table, but the teachers sure did. Professor McGonagall pursed her lips while Professor Sylvester narrowed her eyes and stared at the pair, but Professor Dumbledore simply smiled before returning to his breakfast, humming quietly to himself.

That evening, the two girls were relaxing in the comfy armchairs, drying their hair and clothes by the fire. Earlier, they'd agreed to a snowball fight between two Hufflepuff second years. They'd been getting beaten before Santana had the idea to bewitch the snowballs to hit them in the face. The fight ended when the two girls had the Hufflepuffs surrounded and cowering away from them.

"Imagine how much fun summer will be, just based off of today!" Santana said that evening. Brittany looked over at the Latina, who was staring into the fire.

"This summer?" the blonde asked.

"Yeah! I figured we could hang out over the summer! Isn't that what best friends do?" the brunette replied.

"I've never had a best friend before," Brittany said quietly. Santana smiled.

"Well, now you do! And I say that best friends spend summers together. How else will we meet each other's' families and get to know each other outside of the school?"

The next morning, Brittany woke up from the sunlight streaming in through the window. She rolled over to see Santana sleeping next to her, snoring slightly. Stifling giggles, the blonde gently shook the Latina's shoulder.

"Santana, wake up!"

"Mmrph-!" was the reply Brittany received. She laughed before taking her mirror from her bedside table and angling it so the light shone right in her friend's face.

"Mmm, too bright!" the brunette groaned as she scrunched up her face and sat up.

"Come on! Let's go check out our presents!"

The pair quickly pulled on robes and slippers before running down the stairs to the common room. Underneath the tree were two piles of presents; one for Brittany and one for Santana.

"Wow! Santa's house-elves must've known you'd be sleeping over!" the blonde exclaimed.

After about fifteen minutes, both piles of presents were unwrapped and spread around the girls, while the wrapping paper was strewn around on the carpet. Brittany smiled as she read the note from her parents, as well as the 'note' from her two year old sister that consisted of a bunch of scribbled.

"What'd you get?" Santana asked. The blonde looked over to see her friend piling up her presents.

"I got lots of sweets from my family, as well as two new books and a sweater!" Brittany exclaimed. "What'd you get?"

"I got a sweater too! Plus some spending money and a new chess set! We should play sometime," Santana replied.

"Okay! But, you also get to add candy to your list," Brittany said, reaching behind her and throwing a package to the Latina. Catching it, Santana laughed, reached behind her, then threw another package to the blonde.

"I guess we were both thinking of sweets when we got the gifts," the brunette said, looking down on the Chocolate Frog she'd caught. "Thank you!"

"Thank you, too!" Brittany exclaimed, smiling down on the Jelly Slugs.

"What do you say I beat you in wizards' chess before dinner?" Santana asked cockily. The blonde laughed.

"Oh, you're on!"

After three games of wizards' chess, all won by Brittany, the pair donned their new Christmas sweaters and made their way down to the Great Hall for dinner. They both sat at the Gryffindor table and began feasting on the food before them

By the end of the night, they'd both eaten their fair share of roast beef, ham, potatoes, cranberries, and gingersnap cookies. Both giggling happily, they made their way back to the Gryffindor dormitories and dressed in their pajamas once again.

"This has beem really fun," Santana admitted as they sat in front of the fire. Brittany frowned.

"But break isn't over yet! You still have a week!" The Latina laughed.

"No, I know. I just wanted you to know that I've really been enjoying myself. And, I'm glad that you're my friend," the brunette said. She then quickly leaned over and pecked the blonde on the cheek. "Best friends forever."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

**Author's Note: I would like to take this time to apologize to those of you who have read this story and have been waiting for an update. There is no excuse for me not to have updated this story in nearly a year. After getting a spark of inspiration recently, I am back to write some more. I hope that a hiatus like this will not happen again and I will do everything I can to make sure it doesn't. So, without further ado, here is Chapter 5 of ****_The Lonely Lion and the Secretive Snake_****. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, Harry Potter, or any of the characters. All mistakes are mine.**

After a week of snowball fights on the grounds, ice skating on the frozen lake, and exploring the castle, the winter holiday came to an end and the rest of the students returned to the school. While the two were unable to spend time in the common rooms, they went back to studying at the library tables and talking in the corridors. They'd always done so, but after the break, it became a lot more obvious to the blonde's housemates.

"Brittany," Mercedes asked one evening as the girls prepared for bed. "What's going on with you and Lopez? You know she's a Slytherin, right?" Brittany frowned.

"So? She's my best friend. It doesn't matter that she's in a different house than me. Why should it?"

"That's not the problem," Mercedes began. "The problem is that she is a Slytherin and you are a Gryffindor. We're basically supposed to hate them. It's weird for you to be best friends with one."

Brittany narrowed her eyes. "Santana is the best friend I've ever had! She understands me, listens to me, and supports me! And to top it off, she doesn't laugh at me! If I mess up and do something stupid, everyone laughs. Santana doesn't laugh when I mess up. She helps me fix it and tells everyone else to stop laughing. I'm sure she's told you two once or twice before." Without waiting for a response, Brittany drew the curtains around her bed and pulled the covers up to her chin, turning away from the two dumbfounded girls.

The next morning, Brittany woke before any of the girls, which she was glad for. She dressed silently and made her way down to the Great Hall for breakfast before Herbology. When she entered the hall, she immediately looked toward the Slytherin table, in hopes to see her best friend there. She was disappointed to not see many students were in the hall at all, with only a handful at the Slytherin table. The blonde gloomily sat down at the Gryffindor table and began to make her plate, filling it with scrambled eggs and toast. As she began eating, more and more students began to fill the Hall, talking and laughing with their friends. Seeing everyone with all their friends that they had made her think about her "friends" in Gryffindor who made fun of her, which only made her feel worse. She felt tears brimming in her eyes and felt one dribble down her cheek. As people began to sit down around her, she quickly wiped away the tears and returned to her food.

Suddenly, a hush fell over the hall and people began to whisper. Brittany felt someone drop down into the seat next to her and looked up. It was Santana, eyes full of concern for her blonde best friend, who she could see was upset.

"Britt, what's wrong? What happened?" the Latina asked, wiping away the blonde's tears.

"Santana, what are you doing? I know I sat with you over Christmas break but everyone is watching us! You can't be here!" Brittany whispered, trying to ignore all the eyes of the hall staring at the two friends.

"I don't care about that," the Latina dismissed. "All I care about is you. The minute I walked in here, I could see that you were upset. What happened?"

"She's stupid, that's what happened!" a voice yelled from down the table. The voice belonged to the boy with the limp, Artie Abrams. He and his friends laughed as they watched the blonde tear up more and look down at her lap, ashamed.

"She's too stupid to do well in classes and she's too stupid to make any fr- "

SMACK!

Brittany's head flew up to see that Santana was out of her seat, towering over Artie, who was tearing up as well and holding the side of his face.

"Don't you EVER call Brittany 'stupid'!" the Latina sneered at the cowering boy. Artie swallowed nervously, unsure of what was about to happen. After staring down at the boy for a few seconds longer, she turned on her heel and walked back to the blonde, who was staring at the brunette, mouth agape.

"Come on, Britt, let's go," Santana said, taking Brittany's hand in hers. Together, the pair walked out of the hall, ignoring the hundreds of pairs of eyes watching them. Instead of leading her up the staircase to go to the library, Brittany followed Santana down the stairs and into the dungeons.

"Santana, where are we going?" Brittany whispered as they passed the Potions classrooms.

"I'm taking you to the Slytherin dormitory. No one can say that you can't be there. There are no rules against it. And you're my best friend. They can't kick you out," the Latina said angrily, pulling the blonde down a corridor and reaching a door. "Salazar," Santana muttered and pulled the blonde through the door after her.

"Santana, please calm down!" Brittany exclaimed, wrapping her arms around the Latina. "I'm okay, I promise! I was upset earlier, but now I'm okay. And as much as it was wrong of you to slap Artie, thank you for standing up for me. I really appreciate it."

Santana took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Trying to stop the anger building up inside her, the Latina turned and sat down on the green velvet couch behind her. The blonde followed, sitting next to the brunette and gently rubbing her back.

"This is ridiculous; I should be comforting you. Artie shouldn't have said all those horrible things to you. Either way, he was wrong. You aren't stupid; you're a genius," Santana said, looking at her best friend. The blonde blushed and smiled.

"No one has ever called me that before," Brittany admitted. "Thank you for standing up for me. I don't know what I'd do without you." Santana smiled.

"I don't know what I'd do without you too, Britt. Good thing we're best friends forever."

"Forever," the blonde said, smiling. This time, it was Brittany who gave the Latina a peck on the cheek, only to lean her head on Santana's shoulder, wishing for the summer to arrive so she could spend endless hours with her best friend. The Latina smiled and looked down at the blonde, wishing for the exact same thing.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

**Author's Note: I'm back! Well, I have been for a bit already. I wanted to let you all know that I am starting fresh. Not with this story, don't worry. I cleared out all of my stories and only kept this one. I'm sorry if that upsets anyone, but I feel like this will be my strongest one and I didn't want to keep any that were sub-par work. I also changed my username. No more ****_Cherish the Songbird_****, I am now officially ****_always-infinity30. _****It doesn't seem like much, but I'm proud of the new look. If anyone has any issues, questions, concerns, don't hesitate to ask; my inbox is always open! I hope to keep updating this on a regular basis now that summer is nearly here. I am also planning on starting some new fics that I hope you all will enjoy. **

**As for ****_The Lonely Lion and the Secretive Snake_****, I will still be continuing it. This is more of a transition chapter, so it is a lot shorter than usual. In the future chapters, I plan on summarizing some of their earlier years at Hogwarts, for the sake of interest. I'm really excited to be picking this up again and I hope you all are as excited as I am that two new chapters are out (if you haven't read chapter 5, read it now)! Without further ado, here is Chapter Six!**

Before Brittany knew it, summer was upon them. The days grew longer and the air grew warmer. Exams finished and she and Santana took turns helping the other pack up their things for the journey home. It was sad to see the end of a year, but Brittany couldn't wait to see her family again and spend time with Santana.

"I wish we could spend the whole summer together," the blonde pouted on the last night of their first year at Hogwarts. Santana frowned.

"I wish we could too. It's my mother's fault for making me go on this stupid trip to see my cousins. If it were up to me, we'd spend every minute together. We'd play games, have sleepovers, and go on adventures!" The Latina lay down with her head on Brittany's shoulder, gazing up at the ceiling of the canopy bed.

"We can still do those things if you want! When you get back from your trip, you can come sleep over for the rest of the summer and we can play games and go on adventures together," the blonde exclaimed.

"Let's do it! I'll send an owl the minute I get back. That way we can spend as much time as possible together," Santana answered happily.

The next morning, Brittany woke early and gathered her luggage in one pile at the foot of her bed, kissed Lord Tubbington good-bye, and skipped down the stairs to breakfast. Grabbing some toast and bacon, the blonde rushed out of the hall and out onto the grounds. There, sitting under a tree and looking out onto the Forbidden Forest, was Santana. Smiling, Brittany ran over and plopped down next to her.

"There you are," Santana exclaimed. "I was beginning to worry!" Brittany giggled.

"Don't worry! I'm right here."

The two silently gazed out onto the grounds and into the forest, enjoying their last few hours at Hogwarts. As they ate, students began trickling out onto the grounds around them. Some ran around, playing, while others made their way to the carriage post, where the horseless carriages waited to take the students to the Hogwarts Express.

"I can't wait to come back next year," Brittany said happily, resting her head on Santana's shoulder.

"Me neither," the Latina said, resting her head atop the blonde's. "No where else has ever felt so much like home."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

**Author's Note: This chapter is going to be a longer one, only because I am putting several years into this. The format may seem a bit awkward, but that's because I tried to summarize several years while including important dialogue and events that might've happened in that time frame. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, Harry Potter, or any of the characters. All mistakes are mine!**

The next few years passed quickly by. Brittany and Santana grew closer together and their friendship became stronger. All through their years at Hogwarts, they were inseparable. They sat next to each other in their classes that they shared, they ate meals together in empty classrooms, and they grew up together. Santana was always there for Brittany, whether it was about school or something else. Brittany was always there for Santana, but in other ways. Whenever Santana would get upset, the blonde was always there to calm her down. Most often, all it took was a hand on her shoulder and a look in her eyes to settle the Latina.

In their second and third years, the pair never fought. They agreed on everything and let nothing go between them. Even the much anticipated Gryffindor versus Slytherin Quidditch match couldn't cause a rift in their relationship. The two lived in their own separate world when they were together, but that began to change in their fourth year when outside factors threatened their otherwise perfect friendship.

_"__Santana, I don't think it's a good idea to go to Hogsmeade with Puck," Brittany said one day. "You'd be sneaking out and if you're caught, you could end up with detention!"_

_"__Britt, it'll be fine," the Latina answered. "I can't act like a wuss with Puck; he'll think I'm too pure to be with him. If I want to date him, I have to act older. That's the way it is with guys. Either way, we won't be getting caught."_

_"__So why date him if you have to act like someone you're not?" Brittany asked. The Latina sighed and closed the book she'd been attempting to read._

_"__Because that's what all girls have to do do get a boyfriend. I can help you if you want. I'm sure there are guys out there that are just dying to be with you," Santana said. Brittany blushed._

_"__You really think so?"_

_"__Of course," the Latina said, smiling. "Look at you; you're the whole package! Blonde, beautiful blue eyes, tall, great body. I mean, if I were a guy…" Santana faltered and quickly turned back to her book, blushing profusely. _

_Brittany looked over at Santana, who was trying desperately to appear busy with her homework. The blonde smiled to herself and bent down to her own papers, hoping she had heard her friend correctly._

It seemed to the pair that as they grew older, the more they fought, but also grew closer. No matter how much they fought or what they argued about, the two girls somehow were brought closer together and bonded over what had tried to drag them apart.

_On a late spring night of their fourth year, Brittany woke suddenly by a figure opening the curtains on her bed. She opened her mouth to scream, only to be shushed by none other than her best friend._

_"__Santana," the blonde whispered, "what are you doing here? How did you get inside?" _

_"__You told me the password, Britt, remember?" the Latina answered quietly. She gently closed the curtains and crawled over the blonde's legs to lay on the other side of the bed. "Can I sleep here tonight?"_

_"__Of course you can," Brittany replied gently. "Is everything okay?" Santana answered by curling her arm around the blonde's waist and snuggling into her side._

_"__No, but it is now that I'm here with you."_

_"__What happened?" Santana remained silent for a long stretch of time. Brittany looked closely and realized that the girl was crying and shivering slightly. "Santana, what happened?"_

_"__I had sex with Puck," the Latina whispered. As she said this, she began to cry more, tears rushing down her cheeks. Brittany pursed her lips and wrapped her arms around the smaller girl. _

_"__Don't worry. I'm right here."_

_The two spend the rest of the night in the same position, Brittany holding onto Santana and softly stroking her back. As she did so, small tears fell from the corners of blue eyes that dripped onto black hair. _

_The next morning, Brittany went down to breakfast early and grabbed toast to bring back up to Santana. When she got back to the dormitory, she was glad to see Santana was awake and they were the only ones in the room._

_"__I brought you toast!" the blonde exclaimed, holding some out to her friend. The Latina didn't look up and began to cry once again. Brittany walked over and glanced down at the sheets to see a small, red stain. Quickly setting the food down, the blonde sat down next to the Latina and hugged her. "It's okay, Santana. It'll come out in the wash."_

_"__It hurt so much," the Latina whispered. "It was like it wasn't even a big deal for him. It was so painful and I didn't know what to do. He just did it and was done." Brittany frowned._

_"__That's no way to treat someone," the blonde said. "He doesn't deserve you if he acted that way. If it had been me, I would've shown you how much you mean to me and I would've taken care of you. I would've made sure you enjoyed it." Santana looked up at her best friend. The blonde looked down, realizing what she'd just said. "Umm, I mean…"_

_Brittany was cut off by Santana pressing her lips to the blonde's. Neither of them moved until Brittany closed her eyes and cupped her hand on the Latina's cheek. Santana parted her lips and gently bit down on the blonde's lower lip. Brittany sighed and tugged Santana closer, wrapping her arms around the smaller girl's waist. As both girls deepened the kiss, the door to the dormitory swung open. The girls jumped apart as Mercedes and Tina walked in, laughing._

_"__Oh, sorry Brittany," Mercedes said, surprised. "I thought you'd gone down to breakfast already." _

_"__N-no, it's okay, I just came back up," Brittany said quickly. _

_"__Are you going to Hogsmeade later on today?" Tina asked. "Apparently there's a sale going on at Zonko's!" _

_"__Thanks, Tina, I'll have to stop by," Brittany answered._

_"__Better hurry or all the good stuff will be gone!" Brittany watched as Mercedes and Tina grabbed their purses and left the dormitory quickly. Once they'd left, she turned around to face Santana, who was looking down at the sheets again. _

_"__We should probably clean this up," she said. _

_Brittany frowned, but began stripping the bed, hoping that Santana wouldn't ignore the connection they shared just moments ago._

That summer, their relationship changed forever. After spending the first three weeks of July in Ireland, Brittany spent the rest of their summer holiday at Santana's house. They took occasional trips to Diagon Alley, where they spent hours in bookstores and eating ice cream outside. At night, they would cuddle together in bed, tell each other scary stories, and imagine what their lives would be once they moved on to the real world.

One weekend, Santana's mother and father were visiting her grandmother, leaving Santana and Brittany alone together in the house. After eating a filling dinner of ham and cheese sandwiches, the pair lay on the couch together, watching the fire in the fireplace die down. Brittany lay against the back of the couch, with her front pressed against Santana's back. The blonde's hand stroked up and down the Latina's arm, comforting the both of them.

_"__I wish every night could be like this," Brittany confessed. "I'd never want to get up if we were able to do this every night."_

_"__Me too," Santana admitted, smiling. "But we can't. My parents will be back tomorrow and we have to go back to school in a few weeks."_

_"__But when we go out into the real world, then we can live together and we can spend nights together just like this!" Brittany exclaimed. Santana sighed._

_"__Let's just stay in this moment right here, right now."_

_The pair lay there until the fire was completely out, then went upstairs to bed. After brushing her teeth, Santana walked into their bedroom to find Brittany clad in only a bra and panties climbing into bed._

_"__What? It's really hot in here," the blonde said innocently. Blushing, the Latina took off her clothes as well, turned off the light, and slid into bed. As the pair lay next to one another, they both could feel the heat radiating from their bodies. Brittany glanced over and saw Santana already looking at her with darkened eyes. _

_In one smooth motion, the Latina slid her hand behind the blonde's neck and brought their lips together. Brittany eagerly parted her lips to deepen the kiss and rolled Santana onto her back, while slowly lowering her body onto the Latina's. Santana gripped Brittany's back and dug her fingernails into her soft skin as the blonde moved her mouth to suck on the Latina's pulse point. After leaving a sizable mark, Brittany moved back to the Latina's full lips, slipping her tongue between her teeth. Groaning, Santana's hips bucked forward, desperately searching for some sort of friction. Brittany happily obliged, sneaking her thigh between the Latina's legs and gently pressing up. Santana gasped at the sudden contact, digging her nails into Brittany's shoulder even more._

_"__Br-Britt," Santana choked out. "Are-are you sure?" The blonde paused for a brief moment and looked down into the Latina's darkened eyes._

_"__Yes," she breathed out, smiling down at the smaller girl. Santana smiled and brought her head back down to deepen their kiss once more._

Even though the pair had grown closer intimately, Santana didn't always want to admit that what they shared was completely normal and special. Brittany was upset that Santana didn't think of their connection as a relationship, but it never stopped her from attempting to continue it with her closest friend. As they entered into their fifth year, the pair occasionally continued their romantic relationship, but school made it difficult, which Santana turned into a commonly used excuse.

_"__Santana, do you want to sleep over tonight?" Brittany asked one winter night as they studied together in the Gryffindor Common Room. Santana shifted uncomfortably in her seat._

_"__Britt, the other girls are still there. It's like this every night; when school is in, it's hard for us to…you know." Brittany giggled._

_"__I know, silly. That's not what I was asking about. It's just that we haven't spent a lot of time together recently. You always have to study or get up for an early class the next day. Can you sleepover tonight so we can cuddle? I miss that," the blonde whined. The Latina smiled and closed her books._

_"__Alright, let's go get our cuddle on!"_


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

**Author's Note: Hello all! Just so everyone is on the same page, most of the rest of the chapters will be detailing the rest of Brittany and Santana's three years at Hogwarts. They are entering their fifth year at Hogwarts, so they are fifteen. I know the timing is difficult to keep track of, especially after that last chapter, but most of the interesting things start happening when they grow older. **

**On a side note, feel free to check out my new fic, ****_A Seat Not Taken_****, which is an AU WayHaught fic. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Glee, Harry Potter, or any of the characters. All mistakes are mine! **

On the eve of September 1st, Brittany and Santana were busy packing their trunks for their trip back to Hogwarts for their fifth year. They both had spent the last month of the summer together at Brittany's house, playing pick up Quidditch in her backyard, taking trips to Diagon Alley, and, to their chagrin, doing homework. Their course load for the year was unbelievable, which was made evident when they picked up their school books the last week of August.

"Why would you choose to take Arithmancy, Britt?" Santana asked as she watched the blonde struggle up the stairs with her four Arithmancy textbooks.

"It actually makes sense to me," Brittany answered. "I don't have to explain how I got my answer to anyone. I just do it and it's done!"

"I'm glad I chose all of the easy classes back in third year!" Santana said, dumping her slightly smaller stack of books onto the bed. "It sure has made my life a lot easier!"

As the pair packed their trunks for their trip back to Hogwarts, Santana happened upon a photo album Brittany had given to her at the end of fourth year. She flipped through it again and stopped on a picture of her giving Brittany a kiss on the cheek as the blonde held the camera. The love that Santana had for Brittany was shown highlighted when the brunette pulled back from Brittany's cheek and gazed into her lover's eyes. Santana felt a tear slide down her cheek as she looked at the photograph before quickly putting it in the bottom of the trunk and wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

The next morning, the pair traveled to King's Cross, where they boarded the Hogwarts Express at 10:45. They found an empty compartment for the two of them towards the back of the train and before Brittany could stop her, Santana had already piled their trunks in front of the doorway so no one could come in.

"People are so annoying, Britt!" Santana whined. "I'm not ready to go back and socialize!" Brittany laughed and pulled her friend onto the seat next to her, laying her head on her shoulder.

The two friends spent the rest of the ride talking, gossiping, finishing homework at the last minute, and eating the enormous lunch they'd packed. As it began growing dark outside, the two donned their robes and prepared to disembark onto the platform at Hogsmeade Station. As the lamps were being lit, the train stopped, allowing Santana to pull the blonde with her outside and into the awaiting carriage.

"C'mon Britt," she called back. "Let's go!"

After a brief, ten minute ride up to the school, the pair hopped out and entered the Great Hall for the Welcome Feast. As they entered the hall, Brittany frowned and remembered that they would have to sit at separate tables.

"I'll see you tomorrow, right?" she asked the brunette. Santana nodded and hugged her friend before walking away toward the Slytherin table. Brittany sighed and walked over to the Gryffindor table and plopped down next to Mercedes and Tina.

"Hey Brittany!" Mercedes exclaimed. "How was your summer holiday?" Brittany smiled and spent the next ten minutes talking to the pair about their summer adventures. After a while, a hush fell over the students as the large doors opened and the first years' entered the hall. Brittany watched earnestly as the small students were sorted into various Houses. After the four new Gryffindors were properly welcomed to the table, the feast began. Brittany ate to her heart's content, as this was definitely the most she ever ate whilst at Hogwarts. Only after students finished dessert did the plates disappear and the hall quiet down once again as Dumbledore stepped up to the podium to deliver his closing speech.

"Welcome to another year at Hogwarts, my students," he began. "I trust you all enjoyed your summer holidays."

As Dumbledore continued his speech, but Brittany wasn't listening. She was focused on a particular Latina making faces at her from across the hall. Giggling, she made a face back, but was quickly nudged by Mercedes. Brittany looked up to see that Dumbledore had paused and was looking in her direction. Gulping, she turned toward the podium and focused on the professor entirely.

"And with that," Dumbledore continued", "I bid you all goodnight."

There was a mass exit as everyone began heading for the large doors that led to the entrance hall. Brittany made her way with the other Gryffindors up the stairs to the Gryffindor Common Room. Signing as she entered, Brittany made her way up the stairs to the fifth year girl's dormitory. Her luggage was already on the foot of her bed, waiting to be unpacked. She took a few minutes to put her clothes into the drawers next to her bed, then set her wand on the nightstand and crawled into bed.

"Welcome back, everyone," Mercedes said happily. Brittany smiled and curled up under the covers, thinking to herself that maybe this year won't be so bad after all.

—

The next morning, Brittany rolled out of bed as the birds began chirping outside her window. She dressed in the white button-up shirt, grey skirt, and stockings before slipping her robes on and fixing her hair in the mirror by the door. _This is a new year,_ Brittany thought. _I have to start out well to end well._ She skipped down to breakfast and ate a plate of bacon and eggs. Her eyes searched the hall for a particular Slytherin student, but saw only a group of seventh years sitting at the table.

After finishing her plate, Brittany made her way outside and towards the tree she always admired. When she rounded the corner, Brittany noticed a figure sitting under the tree and gazing out onto the lake. Brittany smiled and skipped over before plopping down next to Santana.

"Morning!" she said cheerfully. Santana looked at the blonde and smiled.

"Morning! Did you sleep alright?" Brittany nodded.

"It's good to be back." Santana nodded in agreement and the pair settled back against the tree trunk and gazed out at the still lake. Brittany looked out past the opposite shore at the rolling hills and mountains beyond the grounds of Hogwarts. She imagined various magical creatures running over the crests of the hills and smiled.

"What do you want to be when you grow up, Santana?" she asked. The Latina thought for a minute, then shrugged.

"I don't know," she answered honestly. "I've never really thought about it. I guess I have to start thinking about it sooner than later. What about you?" Brittany smiled.

"I want to do something that makes me happy. I want to work somewhere where I'm happy, I want to live a happy life," she said. Brittany looked at Santana. "I want to be with someone who makes me happy." Santana looked at Brittany, then glanced down at her hands.

"I want to be happy too," she admitted timidly. Brittany smiled.

"What makes you happy?" she asked. Santana gulped.

"I don't know," she said. Brittany frowned and looked back out onto the lake once again, hoping that one day Santana would know what makes her happy the most. Brittany hoped that answer was her.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

The first week passed by fairly quickly. Brittany learned the hard way that fifth year was about O.W.L.s. Every single one of her teachers reprimanded the students on being so far behind and spent the entire lesson grueling them on information that they would need to know for the exams. Brittany had a hard time concentrating on all of the stuff she needed to know, so she let Santana take notes for her in the classes they shared while she let her brain take a break and daydream. She spent the first few nights of classes up late, studying. It wasn't as fun without Santana helping her, but she knew she couldn't bring her up to the common room with the entire House here.

During the second week of classes, Santana and Brittany finally had a chance to be alone when there was a commotion down in the entrance hall. Everyone ran toward it to see what happened, but Brittany and Santana snuck up to the Gryffindor Tower and spent some quality time together in Brittany's bed.

"D'you want to go on a date with me, Santana?" Brittany asked as they lay together in bed. The blonde held her breath as she waited for an answer, but none came. Santana sat up and wordlessly got dressed. "Forget I said anything." Santana sighed.

"We're not dating, Britt," she said, turning to face the blonde. Brittany looked down at the sheets that she twirled in her hands.

"I know," she said quietly. "But maybe we could be."

"No," Santana said firmly. "We can't. We're girls, Britt. We can't…date. I'm not doing this because I'm in love with you."

"Then why are you doing this, Santana?" Brittany asked, tears beginning to form in her eyes. Santana remained silent, for she could not answer her question.

"I should go," Santana said quietly and slipped out of the door.

Brittany opened the floodgates and allowed her tears to pour down her cheeks. She collapsed back onto the bed and curled up underneath the sheets, desperate to feel something other than the heartbreak she was feeling right now.

—

For the next few weeks, Brittany and Santana didn't speak to one another. They sat apart from each other in class, sometimes making the blonde sit alone or with people who would tease her for asking dumb questions. Brittany hardly spoke to anyone and spent all of her free time either working or sleeping. She tried not to look in Santana's direction, but whenever she did, Santana was preoccupied with something else. Brittany felt awful, knowing that Santana had moved on and away from her. Little did she know that Santana spent long stretches in classes and at meals simply staring at the blonde from across the room. She could see how upset and how sad the blonde was. She felt guilty, but never attempted to talk to her.

A few weeks without talking turned into a few months. Brittany fell further and further behind in classes. Some of her teachers gave up on her, thinking that it would take a miracle for her to pass her O.W.L. and they simply did not have the time to give her that miracle. One day in Potions class, Brittany was so distracted from her work that she accidentally blew up her entire cauldron splashing herself and Rachel with a solution that caused boils to pop up all over the two girls. Rachel shrieked and ran out of the dungeon, most likely toward the hospital wing. Brittany began to cry from the pain she was in. She had gotten splashed the most and in just a few seconds, her face had become so swollen and covered in boils that she couldn't see. She lunged toward where she thought was the door, but bumped into the table, knocking ingredients off the table, some smashing and spilling on the ground. The class erupted in laughter, pointing and jeering at the poor blonde. She couldn't see her fellow classmates making fun of her, but she could hear them.

"What an idiot!"

"How stupid are you?"

"It's a wonder your parents kept you all these years. They'd be better off with a Hufflepuff!"

The taunts and ridicules kept coming as Brittany tried to find her way out of the classroom. She was suddenly pushed from behind and fell onto the ground, cutting her hands on the glass phials that had spilled. She began to crawl away from all of the voices she heard when she felt soft hands hoist her up from the ground, supporting her and walking her toward the door.

"Wait here," a voice said, leaning Brittany up against the wall. Brittany could tell whose voice that was from a mile away. It was Santana.

A hush fell over the room as Santana walked toward the students who had pushed and teased Brittany. Brittany didn't hear a word spoken, but she heard the slap that rang around the room. Just as quickly as she had left, Santana appeared at Brittany's arm and pulled her out of the classroom. The pair didn't say a word to each other as they walked, mostly because the blonde couldn't open her mouth. When they finally reached the hospital wing, Madam Pomfrey ushered the two inside. Santana guided the blonde over to a bed and helped her lay down.

"Now, Ms. Pierce, I am going to remove the boils, but you must stay here overnight in the event more pop up or you have side effects from the potion," Madam Pomfrey said. Brittany heard her muttering an incantation from above her. Suddenly, the blonde felt a sort of mist wash over her face. The boils began to disappear and Brittany slowly opened her eyes. Madam Pomfrey smiled down at the blonde, but Brittany had eyes only for the girl standing at the foot of her bed, eyes red from crying.

"There you are!" Madam Pomfrey said. "Now you just rest. I'll bring you lunch in an hour." After the nurse walked away, Santana moved to the side of Brittany's bed and pulled up a chair. The two sat in silence, staring at each other.

"You know, you're going to get in trouble if you keep hitting people, Santana," Brittany said, breaking the silence. Santana laughed and wiped her eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Britt," the Latina began. "I don't know why I was so mean to you or why I stopped talking to you. You're my best friend and nothing is going to change that." Brittany smiled and held out her arms. Santana looked around, saw that they were alone, and leaned down to kiss the blonde. Brittany was surprised, but immediately melted into the kiss, pulling the Latina in and clinging to her robes.

When they finally broke apart, they were both grinning. Brittany scooted over in her bed and patted the space next to her. Santana laughed and sat down next to the blonde, bringing her hand over to rest on Brittany's stomach. Brittany smiled contently and leaned her head to rest on Santana's. She had never been happier to have her best friend back.

—

Over the next few months, the pair spent all of their down time together, just like they used to. Only this time, it was the two getting ready for their O.W.L.s. They snuck up to the bathrooms late at night and studied together by the moonlight from the window. On the weekends, other students went to visit Hogsmeade, but the pair stayed at the castle, studying on the grounds and by the lake when it got warmer out.

Finally, the O.W.L.s were upon them. All of the fifth year students began to fret over the information that they'd learned for years and crammed to review everything. When the first exam, Charms, began, stress levels and the number of faux good-luck charms were at an all-time high. Brittany and Santana wished each other luck before finding their seats in the Great Hall. After the papers were distributed and before time was called, the pair shared a look from across the hall, wishing the other luck once more before turning over the paper and beginning.

After all the exams were done, all of the fifth years began the week-long celebration before term ended. There were wild parties for every House in all of the common rooms. There were also several parties held in empty classrooms every now and then that raged on for less than an hour before a teacher came and dispersed the crowd. Finally, it was the last day of term arrived and everyone busied themselves with packing their bags and preparing for the journey home. Brittany and Santana agreed to meet for one last meal at the castle before the summer holiday began. The two grabbed dinner from the hall and took it outside by the late to eat and watch the sun go down. After finishing the meal, the two lay on the ground facing each other, telling stories about the future.

"And I'll have a big house with picket fencing," Brittany said, eyes closed and dreaming of her life in the future. "I'll have two kids, a boy and a girl. They'll go to Hogwarts too. And I'll be married to you!" Santana frowned.

"Two girls can't get married," she said. Brittany opened her eyes.

"Sure they can," she argued. "People do it all the time now."

"Well, my abuela wouldn't want me to," Santana said. "She wants me to marry a rich boy with a strong family."

"But what do _you_ want?" Brittany asked. "It's not up to your abuela. It's up to you." Santana looked deep into Brittany's eyes and took a deep breath.

"I want you."


End file.
